Bangalore storm into NCL T20 finals
David Warner rewrote the Twenty20 record books in vain as RCB beat New South Wales Blues to reach the Nokia Champions League T20 final.
Warner smashed 123 not out from 68 balls, becoming the first man ever to hit centuries in back-to-back T20 innings following his unbeaten 135 against Chennai last time out, while Daniel Smith made 62 from 42 to help propel the Blues to 203 for two.
But Chris Gayle, with a remarkable 92 from 41 balls, and Virat Kohli, with 84 not out from 49 deliveries, put on 141 in 11 overs as Bangalore chased down a target over 200 for the second successive game.
Warner reached his half-century from 40 deliveries, with four fours and three sixes and shared in a 67-ball century stand with wicketkeeper Smith, who hit 40 runs in boundaries as he reached 50 from 33 balls.
A remarkable 17th over by Dirk Nannes brought two sixes and also saw Warner twice flummoxed by wide slower balls, falling flat on his face the second time, and the first ball of the next accounted for Smith, who walked too far across and was cleaned up by Sreenath Aravind's yorker to end a stand of 146.
But when Warner pushed his 62nd ball for a single he had his second successive hundred and joined compatriots Ian Harvey and Adam Gilchrist, New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum and Gayle as the only batsmen to make three in their T20 careers.
His 11 sixes in an innings was also a T20 record and he became the highest run-scorer in a single edition of the Champions League with 328.
Nannes and Aravind each shipped over 50 runs, but Tillakaratne Dilshan took one for 10 in his four overs.
Gayle and Kohli's stand reached 50 in 19 balls and Gayle's personal half-century came up in 20, Kohli taking 28 deliveries to reach the same mark.
Gayle hammered eight fours and eight sixes but was denied a century when umpire Marais Erasmus adjudged him lbw, with Pat Cummins' delivery seemingly clipping the off bail.
Cummins, who finished with four for 45, yorked new man Saurabh Tiwary first ball and also removed Mayank Agarwal in his next over, though the latter appeared to make no contact as he was given out caught behind.
Bangalore's nerves were settled when Kohli took 14 from the final three balls of the 18th over to reach his highest T20 score and Mohammad Kaif (13no) finished the game with back-to-back boundaries.
Gayle told British Eurosport: "It was a brilliant effort to chase 200. Warner played a superb innings but myself and Virat, our partnership was key. Well done to Virat and the rest of the guys."
Somerset and Mumbai Indians meet in the second semi-final Saturday.
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